India News | Noida Couple Stages Robbery at Home to Get Friend's Crypto Assets Worth Crores
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Noida Police on Thursday said they have arrested three people, including a married couple, for allegedly staging a robbery at their home after inviting a businessman friend in order to gain control of his cryptocurrencies worth "crores of rupees."
Noida, Mar 23 (PTI) Noida Police on Thursday said they have arrested three people, including a married couple, for allegedly staging a robbery at their home after inviting a businessman friend in order to gain control of his cryptocurrencies worth "crores of rupees."
The businessman, a frequent visitor to the couple's apartment, had told them that he had investments worth crores in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Noida) Shakti Avasthy said.
Avasthy told reporters that the Sector 113 Police Station was alerted about a robbery at a flat in Arania society in Sector 119 on the intervening night of March 20 and 21.
"The three people (the couple and the businessman) had come to the police station in an inebriated condition. They requested a medical test. The medical test was done and it showed minor injuries with all three. The next day they filed a loot complaint," the officer said.
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When police investigated the case, they found that the businessman, Virendra Malik, who is also one of the complainant in the matter, was invited by Ajit alias Rahul Singh and his wife Mahi to their apartment.
"The couple had roped in four more people to stage the robbery at their home and one of them, identified as Ankur Payal, has been arrested," he said.
During the staged episode, the "robbers" made off with some gold jewellery worn by the businessman and also administered him some narcotics which left him unconscious for more than 24 hours, he said.
According to police, a wristwatch, a neck chain, three mobile phones, and Rs 5,800 in cash were robbed from Malik by the assailants who were acting in collusion with the couple.
They also asked him for his cryptocurrency details, and his mobile passwords, which Malik refused to share despite being beaten up.
According to police, they also beat up the couple, probably to allay any suspicion that they were together in the act.
"Malik had informed Rahul and Mahi that he had investments worth crores in Bitcoin. Rahul and Mahi were undergoing financial stress and they were lured by this option to resolve their problem. That's why this whole robbery was staged," Avasthy said.
The couple resolved to end its financial stress using Malik's cryptocurrency and make investments in their own business ventures, he added.
The three other people who were part of the staged robbery have been identified as Deepak, Mathu and Anjum, all natives of Meerut, and efforts are underway to nab them, the officer said.
An FIR has been lodged at the Sector 113 Police Station under Indian Penal Code sections 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 394 (causing hurt during a robbery), 506 (criminal intimidation), and sections 34 (act done by several people with common intention), 342 (wrongful confinement) are being added in the case, police said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)